“But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up, therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humble himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.”
2 Chronicles 32:25-26
God had greatly blessed Hezekiah with favor and wealth, but there came a time when his heart was filled with pride. This put him and his people in jeopardy of God’s judgment for God is righteously jealous and will not share His glory with another. Word of God’s pending judgment reached Hezekiah who wisely responded by humbling himself.
There is a great lesson here for every successful leader. Pride is a dangerous thing simply because God resists the proud (James 4:6). Pagan proud or Christian proud it doesn’t matter. God will resist you if you allow pride to enter your heart. The word “resist” in James is not at all passive. God will actively opposes the proud! Pride enters in when we receive glory and praise from others but fail to give God the glory. We begin to think more highly of ourselves, comparing ourselves to others, and even judging others because in our minds we are doing everything right but others are doing things wrong. Don’t be fooled. Pride does not come boldly knocking at your door. It is dangerously subtle.
There is a simple solution to pride. It works every time and is relatively painless. It’s called giving thanks. Giving thanks is the the best way is to “repay”. This is the repayment referred to here. What God requires is verbal acknowledgement for what he has done. Not just to Him alone but giving public acknowledgment and thanks to God who has given us the success that we now enjoy. When we fail to give Him what is due we rob God, accepting glory and praise that is His alone. We begin to listen to those around us who tell us how great we are or how wonderful our ministry has become. Pride is always lurking, looking for the opportunity to infect the human heart. The adulations of men and the deception of inner thoughts about ourselves allure us into pride. When someone praises you for something it’s ok to say thank you, but remember to also give glory to God.
Take a moment and ask the Lord to search your heart and ask Him to reveal any trace of pride. Replace pride with thankfulness for what the Lord has done.
